Green and Silver
(Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters.)
[This oneshot takes place at the end of the summer before Hermione's 4th year, at the Quidditch World Cup, and then cuts to right after the first Triwizard Tournament task is completed.]
Hey all, if anyone is still reading, I hope my story, even though it is a series of oneshots, is coming together more and more with each chapter I post. I have created a lot of my own characters in this alternate universe where Hermione's family members are some of Voldemort's biggest supporters, as well as integrated her family's backstory with the canon universe's Death Eater-related events too. It took me a lot of time to make all of this up and to match up the story as close as possible to what really happened, so I really hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your opinions or questions via review or private message. Enjoy!
~*~*~X~*~*~
Granger's Legacy
~*~*~X~*~*~
Hermione Granger, age 14
Hermione's eyes darted around the large stadium with excitement. Green and red fireworks filled the sky, and the excited chatter and cheering of the audience filled Hermione's ears.
Next to her, her parents sat happily next to each other, having a conversation between themselves. On her right, sat her first cousin Dmitri. Of course, Dmitri's parents were in Azkaban, supposedly for supporting the Dark Lord, but that was just gossip. So Dmitri was here by himself.
In fact, now that Hermione thought about it, that was probably why the Granger box was so empty. All her father's siblings were in Azkaban, and a couple of Hermione's older cousins were locked up as well. Even Dmitri's parents and grandparents remained in Azkaban to this day. Generations and generations of Grangers have been imprisoned, and Hermione's parents had never told her. She only found out this past summer from Alexei.
Part of Hermione felt a little sad that she never knew any members of her rather large family. When she was younger she'd always longed for other people her age to befriend, but since her cousins' parents were all locked away Hermione never met any of them.
That was partly why Hermione had spent so much time with Draco throughout her childhood. She felt like she knew him like the back of her hand, and he probably felt he knew her the same way. He was there to be her friend when no one else was, even if he did annoy her from time to time.
Hermione would never in her right mind tell anyone any of this, though. She preferred to have a tougher, unbothered exterior in front of others. You must never let another see you as weak, her father had always said. Truly powerful wizards never show weakness.
The only other people in the box besides Hermione, her parents, and Dmitri were the Petrova family, friends of her parents, and their two children enrolled at Durmstrang. Hermione was quite friendly with Margery, they even wrote to each other once in awhile, and she was slowly getting to know Kole better too. He even revealed to her that his mother was in fact a vampire, which was usually not the type of information one shared with others, seeing as many people looked down on vampires as Dark creatures. When Hermione asked how they all could walk in the daylight, he revealed that a famous Dark wizard who taught at Durmstrang was able to spell certain small objects or pieces of jewelry into talismans of some kind of Dark protection from any natural source of light, since natural light represented nature and balance. Kole and Margery's mother didn't have any kind of said talisman, but Kole and Margery were each given one temporarily by their school in order for it not to affect their learning or day-to-day activities at Durmstrang. The only reason this was possible was because Kole and Margery were only half vampire; no spell could ever fully undo the effect of natural light against a Dark creature. Hermione found it all quite fascinating; she loved learning about magical creatures.
Hermione looked out at the stadium in thought, where the Bulgarian Veela were performing below. Dmitri was telling her about the players of the Irish pro Quidditch team, because she already knew all the players on Bulgaria's team.
"Of course, Bulgaria's the team I'm going for, and did I tell you one of the players is in my year at Durmstrang?" Dmitri pointed at a moving poster on the opposite side of the stadium.
"Viktor Krum," Hermione said in recognition.
"The best Seeker in the world," Dmitri added in awe.
Hermione was about to tell her cousin about how well Viktor Krum could perform the Wronski Feint to get past his opponents when she heard the all too familiar sound of Draco's voice behind her; Hermione turned in her seat and stood.
"Oy, Hermione!" Draco approached the box entrance.
"Draco," she said, greeting him with a hug. "You're in the Minister's box, I assume?" she asked as she pulled away.
"Of course, and your family would have been invited as well if you didn't have your own box," Draco stated matter-of-factly, looking past her out into the stadium. He casually put his arm around her shoulders. "You're lucky, really," he muttered close enough to her ear that she could feel his breath, "That Lex was promoted and got box tickets." Hermione knew secretly Draco didn't think she was that lucky; after all, the Minister himself invited the Malfoys to share a private box with him. She briefly wondered why he said otherwise.
"I reckon Krum will win us the game tonight," Draco continued excitedly, returning his arm back to his side. Hermione shivered at the loss of body warmth around her. "He goes to Durmstrang, you know."
"Yes, he goes to school with me," Dmitri responded, almost proudly.
Draco turned to Dmitri in interest. "Are you two friends, then?" he said expectantly.
Dmitri nodded, and then shrugged. "We got on well, especially up until our fourth year, but now we don't talk much anymore, he's too busy with practices."
"Oh," was all Draco said.
"Well," Dmitri said, sensing Draco's disappointment, "It's not really because of that, he just doesn't like that my parents are-" he stopped mid sentence, correcting himself. "He and my parents don't get on well."
"Hang on," Draco said, his brow furrowed in suspicion, "How is it that Viktor Krum knows your parents if your parents have been in Azkaban for years?"
Before Dmitri could reply, Lucius Malfoy appeared behind his son, seemingly out of nowhere.
Lucius greeted Hermione warmly and then proceeded to exchange greetings with Hermione's parents. "Where's your mother?" Hermione asked Draco, curious.
Draco waved his hand in dismissal. "Oh, she's in one of the Ministry's boxes, talking to your brother, I presume."
Hermione felt her face light up at the mention of her brother. "Say, how would you two like to go see Alexei after the match? I bet he could get us a meeting with some of the players!"
Seeing Draco's and Dmitri's enthusiastic responses, Hermione turned to walk towards her parents. They were faced away from her, standing next to Lucius, but the nature of the conversation, Hermione observed, was not of a happy nature. When her father turned to Lucius, Hermione saw on her father's face a stern expression, one filled with disapproval. He looked almost as though he were lecturing Draco's father, like a parent to a child. Instantly, Hermione was reminded of the brief snippets of conversation she had overheard between her father and Lucius back at Granger Mansion not so long ago; Hermione's father was addressing Lucius the same way then as he was now.
Hermione strained to hear anything, even a word, but her father spotted her in his peripheral vision and turned around. "Ah, 'Mione!" He said, suddenly delighted. "You ready for the match?"
Hermione had to admit, her father was a good actor. He could change the nature of his face and voice at the drop of a hat.
"Uh-well, Father, I wanted to take the boys to see Alexei after the match, they really wanted to see Viktor Krum, and-"
"Hermione," her father said with a dry chuckle, "It'll be chaotic after the match, the players are on a tight schedule, as are the Ministry employees, including your brother, and myself and Lucius here as well. Sorry, love," he shook his head, "But there's just no time."
At the sound of his name, Lucius turned sharply to glare at Hermione's father. Hermione's father either ignored it, or didn't notice.
"Now," her father continued, "Remember where you're supposed to go after the match? You and Draco aren't spending the night like everyone else, you're going straight home by Portkey. I've arranged for the Ministry to set one up to bring you back to the Mansion near the end of the visitors' camping grounds. Draco will be spending the night there, as will Dmitri, if he'd like."
Hermione wondered why she couldn't stay overnight and enjoy the post-match festival like everyone else. But she didn't dare question her father; she would never hear the end of it.
Hermione, disappointed, turned back to her friend and her cousin. "Well, nevermind, then. Come on, let's get our seats."
Hermione led them to the front of the box, where Kole and Margery were sitting. She introduced them to Dmitri after they greeted Draco, and Draco bade goodbye to head to the Minister's box by the middle of the stadium seating. The match was about to begin.
~*~*~X~*~*~
When Hermione, Draco, and Dmitri arrived home late that night, Hermione felt quite tired, but not tired enough to go to bed. After showering, changing, and eating several packs of Toffee Eclairs, she sat on the dark olive couch in the center of the living room.
She, Draco, and Dmitri were relaxing and talking for about an hour before she heard a large crack coming from behind them.
The trio whirled around to see that Alexei had Apparated into the room.
"Lex!" Hermione gasped in surprise.
"Listen, 'Mione, I haven't got much time," Alexei said quickly, sounding stressed. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead. "The Dark Lord's followers attacked the campgrounds at the World Cup. Everything's been burned down-"
"What?" Hermione said incredulously. "The Dark Lord? His followers? But he's gone. I don't underst-"
"Like I said, I don't have much time. Look, all you need to know is that they're called the Death Eaters, and Mum and Dad are both with them right now, but you mustn't let them find out what you know. They're not ready to tell you yet. They've conjured up the Dark Mark. That means the Dark Lord is around, somewhere-Merlin knows where. But I think he could be trying to come back." Alexei grabbed Hermione by the shoulders, his eyes grave. "Listen, sister, it's imperative you-" he stopped mid-sentence and glared at Dmitri.
"What?" Dmitri asked, his brows furrowing slightly. "What are you on about?"
Alexei shook his head quickly. "Nevermind," he dismissed, turning back to Hermione. "Just be careful at Hogwarts this year. This year will be different than ever before; stay safe and keep your friends close, all right?" He backed away from her, preparing to Apparate.
"Wait, hang on, Lex, you can't just leave-"
"I have to, Hermione, they'll be looking for me, I've got to go!" He pushed her back when she tried to grab him, and with a loud crack, he was gone again.
Hermione, Dmitri, and Draco stood there in silence for a long moment before Alexei's words registered in Hermione's brain.
Death Eaters. The Dark Lord's followers. Hermione didn't even know he still had followers around. He was dead. The Potter boy had killed him three years ago, Merlin knows how, and before that he hadn't been around for years, not since Hermione was born.
Hermione may not have known who the Death Eaters were, but she definitely knew who the Dark Lord was. He was one of the most powerful wizards of all time, and all sorts of powerful Pureblood wizards followed him. Including her parents and the generations of Grangers that came before them.
And her mother and father were with these Death Eaters at this very moment. Was that why Father had made it imperative she leave the World Cup immediately after the match? Now that she thought about it, that was probably why.
If Hermione had learned one thing tonight, it was this; her parents were Death Eaters. Why else would they not be here with her right now?
But Hermione also knew that she trusted her parents. If they still followed the Dark Lord, that meant two things: one, the Dark Lord was still somehow alive, or "coming back" as Alexei had put it; and two, he must really be a great wizard, the greatest ever. And if they believed in him, so should she.
~*~*~X~*~*~
It was dark out. Hermione looked up at the night sky; there was a light rain, and the sky above her was completely black.
Hermione couldn't quite make out her surroundings; there was a fog surrounding her, not think enough that she could barely make out tall, grey buildings close by her, but thick enough that those buildings were all she was able to see.
Hermione's arm rose from her side, though it was as if someone else was controlling her body. She rolled up her left sleeve with her right hand, and when her sleeve was pulled back she saw a tattoo was revealed. A small skull with a snake protruding out of its mouth.
Hermione had known this symbol all her life. She had been seeing it as early on as she could remember.
That mark was engraved on the arms of both her parents.
Hermione had also seen this mark on the arms of some of her parents' friends; Professor Snape, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, Mr. Yaxley, and Mr. Rowle. Now that she knew what the mark meant, it all made sense. They were all the Dark Lord's followers.
Hermione's right hand, which she now recognized to be her mother's hands, moved toward her left forearm. Then she touched her pointer finger directly onto the mark.
Hermione felt a burning sensation where the mark was; then, a couple seconds later, an unfamiliar man Apparated in front of her. His grey eyes pierced through hers, as if establishing some kind of connection between their minds. Hermione felt almost violated, and vulnerable, but intrigued like she wanted more, like she wanted to see into his mind.
But too soon the connection was broken; someone had grabbed her shoulders and was shaking her, but when Hermione turned to look behind her no one was there. Then, she blinked and she was a world away; Hermione opened her eyes only to see the ceiling of her four-poster bed at Hogwarts, with the mousy face of Pansy looming over her.
"Oh, come on, Hermione, wake up! You're going to be late for breakfast, and you have class first thing after!"
Hermione already felt the dream escaping her, her mind returning to the real world. She felt extreme annoyance at Pansy for interrupting, but her friend was right; she was going to be late.
After showering and scrambling to get ready, Hermione and Pansy descended the stairwell to the Common Room, where Draco, Theo, and Goyle were waiting for them.
"Where's Vince?" Pansy asked.
"Crabbe's got early morning detentions with McGonagall this whole week," Draco snickered.
"Why?" Pansy asked.
"Who cares, I'm hungry," Hermione answered, still exasperated. She led the group out of the Common Room and out of the dungeons, all the way scheming in her head on how to get Draco or Theo alone; she was anxious, feeling the need to tell someone about her mysterious dream.
Hermione had had dreams like this before. Not with that mark in them, but where she was seeing through the eyes of someone else, and it was always someone close to her in her life. She never knew what it meant, and never told anyone about them except Draco. Now, she was ready to add Theo to her short list of confidants as well. She felt he could be trusted. He was one of the only people in the school Hermione genuinely thought of as a friend, despite the fact she was quite popular throughout Slytherin House; this was mostly for being the "brightest witch of her age" and for her beauty.
Friends, though? That list was considerably shorter than her list of acquaintances. Although now that Durmstrang was visiting for the Triwizard Tournament, she could consider her family friend, Margery Petrova, and her cousin, Dmitri Dolohov-Granger, friends of hers too.
She was even introduced to another cousin, whom she never knew about when she was younger: Oliviana, daughter of her father's brother, Norman. Who was, surprise, in Azkaban. Rolfe and Ravenna, Oliviana's younger siblings, were back in school at Durmstrang, while her two older brothers were locked up in Azkaban with their father.
Once they reached the Great Hall, Draco immediately spotted Blaise in the crowds of seated students. Hermione almost laughed at Blaise's face when he turned and saw he had been discovered by Goyle, Pansy, and Draco. Out of the usual group, Hermione was sure Blaise only genuinely liked Theo. And maybe Draco sometimes. She didn't know Blaise well enough to like or dislike him, and she was sure he saw her the same way.
Draco moved down the bench to make room for Hermione. She sat down happily, looking over her shoulder for Dmitri. Finding him, beckoned him over.
Dmitri then approached their group, and Hermione waved Margery over with her brother as well. Hermione noticed several groups of nearby students staring at her posse; the visiting schools just arrived yesterday, and the Slytherins and Durmstrangs were among the first students to start intermingling with each other.
The group was growing too large for Blaise's liking, Hermione reckoned; he stood in one swift movement, nodded in Draco and Theo's direction, and proceeded down the aisle towards the double doors of the Great Hall. Draco rolled his eyes.
Hermione's eyes pulled away from Blaise and went to her friends; she quickly started to introduce the Durmstrang students to the rest of the group.
Hermione felt someone pulling on her right sleeve, and she turned to Margery next to her.
"Hermione," she whispered with a smile, "Your cousin's not bad looking at all, I didn't even know he went to my school."
Hermione faked gagging, disgusted. "He's my cousin, for Merlin's sake, Margery! You couldn't choose anyone, literally anyone else in any of the schools here at Hogwarts?"
Margery only shrugged with an innocent giggle. Hermione decided she did not want to continue this conversation; she did not want to hear about how all Margery wanted to do when she saw Dmitri was snog him. Hermione may as well have lost her appetite.
After a delicious breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast, and fruit, as well as a heated debate on whether Durmstrang or Hogwarts was the better school, the large group split up to go to classes. Kole went to meet with his fellow sixth-year classmates, Margery went off to the library to study during her free period, and the Slytherins headed off to Potions.
~*~*~X~*~*~
Later that day, after her Arithmancy class, Hermione took off to the library to get ahead on her Potions essay due that Friday as well as on practicing spells for her Charms class the next morning. She saw Dmitri sitting alone, studying, so she pulled up a chair and sat across from him at a small mahogany table.
"Is that the Transfiguration homework?" Hermione said, as the Durmstrang fourth year students shared Transfiguration with the Slytherins on Wednesdays.
"Yep," Dmitri grunted, clearly concentrating on his work. Hermione did not utter another word; instead she pulled out her Potions book, parchment and ink, and began writing.
For once, however, Hermione found it hard to focus on her work. Now that she was with Dmitri, alone, all she could think about was her family. At this point, it was clear to Hermione that Dmitri's parents were Death Eaters; why else would they be in Azkaban? Did Dmitri know? He had to, if his parents were imprisoned for it. Did that mean Dmitri felt the same way, that he supported the Dark Lord too? Dmitri was of age; he was old enough to become a Death Eater himself if he wanted to.
Hermione didn't quite know how to start this conversation with her cousin.
As she mulled it over, she absently laid eyes on Viktor Krum, who was browsing a bookshelf down the aisle from Hermione's table. He was quite attractive, Hermione thought, now that she saw him up close for the first time.
Hermione was lost in thought, staring at the boy when Krum turned in her direction, and their eyes met.
At first, Hermione almost couldn't look away. Even from ten, fifteen feet away, she felt as if she could lose herself in his dark eyes, as if she wanted to lose herself in them.
Hermione blinked, snapping out of it. She quickly looked down at the parchment in front of her, her cheeks burning. Dmitri glanced up at her for a second, but quickly lost interest and returned to his work.
Hermione tried to begin writing again, but something was tugging at her brain. A memory. Vaguely, she remembered talking to Dmitri and Draco about Viktor Krum at the World Cup, in her family's box. Something about-
"Dmitri," Hermione said suddenly, the memory finally coming back to her. When Dmitri didn't look up, Hermione rudely snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Dmitri."
"Oy, what?" Dmitri said, looking up at her exasperatedly. "I was in the middle of a thought, Hermione."
"What was it that you said about Viktor Krum and your parents? Back at the World Cup?" Hermione asked.
"What? I dunno, Hermione, that was so long ago, er, what are you talking about?"
Hermione shushed him, for his voice was getting louder. "You said he knew your parents. How? Haven't they been in Azkaban for almost your whole life?"
Dmitri sighed, defeated. "Look, that's not exactly what I meant, I only meant that he doesn't like my parents."
"So," Hermione started, confused, "He doesn't know them? What-"
"He doesn't know them personally, no," Dmitri dismissed. He sighed again. "Look, at Durmstrang, everyone knows what my parents are. Or were. I dunno. My parents, they're huge supporters of You-Know-Who. They're-"
"Death Eaters, I know," Hermione cut in, a little proud of her knowledge.
Dmitri's brow furrowed. "You know? You're only in your fourth year-"
"My brother told me, he tells me everything," Hermione said. The latter part of that statement might not have been entirely true, but Hermione continued. "He told me that my parents are Death Eaters, and that all my father's siblings, including your mother, are as well."
"Right, then," Dmitri said, surprised at what Hermione already knew. "Well, anyway, everyone at my school knows my parents are famous criminals, and, well, Krum doesn't like to surround himself with that sort of crowd. Especially followers of You-Know-Who. Not that there's many out there now, what with him being gone and all-well, my parents seem convinced he's coming back soon, and they want me to, like, join them. Become a Death Eater," he finished.
Hermione was silent for a moment. Then she whispered, "Are you?"
Dmitri smirked. There was Hermione's answer.
"But why?" Hermione asked, still not satisfied. "Why bother? The Dark Lord is gone, Dmitri. What more could you plan to do as a Death Eater with no leader?"
"If You-Know-Who never comes back again," Dmitri said, "We'll continue his work."
Hermione's face scrunched up. "Continue his work? That's absurd, apparently he was more powerful than any other wizard, even Dumbledore-"
"Look, cousin, I dunno the specifics, really. All I know is that even though You-Know-Who's been gone for years, my parents still seem to be fully devoted to him. Even from Azkaban. Yours, too. There must be a reason, there must be something they know that we don't, that could possibly allow the Dark Lord to come back, or to help him to. A wizard as powerful as that doesn't just disappear. Which is what led me to think," Dmitri paused, "that he's not really dead."
Hermione was still processing everything her cousin was saying. Her face scrunched up in disbelief. "Not really dead? Are you barking?" You-"
A group of Gryffindor boys sitting behind Hermione's table shushed her loudly. She flipped them the finger.
Dmitri seized his chance to continue. "Think about it," he prodded. "The Dark Mark appeared in the sky the night of the World Cup. The night of the Death Eater attack. Why else would they gather together, make a public scene announcing to the world they still support the Dark Lord?"
Hermione shrugged. Dmitri was right. Hermione's parents wouldn't support the Dark Lord to this day if they believed he was dead. They would move on, claim the rest of her family's innocence to get them out of Azkaban.
Hermione gave up and changed the subject with newfound intrigue. "So, you know a lot, then, about our family? Have you met them?"
Dmitri nodded. "When I visit my parents in Azkaban, they always tell me to visit the others as well. The Dementors won't let me visit everyone, of course, that'd take about a century, but I try to see whoever I can. There's my parents, of course, and well, I guess I haven't told you I've got two older sisters, twins. One of them, Val, got caught, so she's rotting in Azkaban as we speak," he said. "The other, Solaris, she's out in hiding somewhere. Probably near London."
"Hiding? For what?"
"Murder," Dmitri shrugged.
"Mur-?" Hermione gasped, earning another shush from students at the table behind them. She lowered her voice. "Murder? And you're alright with that?"
"They were just Mudbloods," Dmitri said, shrugging.
Relief hit Hermione. "Oh, all right then," she sighed.
"Last I heard from Solaris, she tried to hide out with your brother," Dmitri stated. "I dunno what happened after that. I think that was when Val got caught up with the Aurors. Scrimgeour found her, the old prat."
"The Head Auror?" Hermione shook her head.
"Yeah. You can imagine the look on my parents' faces when they're there, rotting in their cells, and they see their eldest daughter being dragged in by Ministry," he said, chuckling.
Dmitri didn't seem to be taking this that seriously, Hermione observed. Did that mean Val wasn't going to be held for long? No, she had to be, she's in for murder. Hermione was a little confused at how her cousin seemed to be handling this, but she decided to hold her tongue.
"What about my father's other siblings? Where are they?" Hermione asked instead. The pair, deciding they weren't going to get anymore work done in the library at the moment, started packing up their things and headed down the corridor. It was nearly dinnertime, so they headed down to the Great Hall.
"Our Uncle Radomir, or I call him Uncle Dom, I've visited him; he's been in Azkaban for as long as I can remember," Dmitri answered, talking louder now that they didn't have to whisper anymore. "The man told me himself, laughing, that he knew he was never getting out. Didn't seem to care," Dmitri shrugged. "Too far gone, I guess. The other one though, Norman, our parents' eldest brother, he's in Azkaban too, but I've never met him. Heard he's been in solitary for years. My parents reckon he's gone mad in there, all by himself, the poor bloke."
Hermione sighed. She hated that her family was suffering like this. She hated that she never knew what they were going through until now. Part of her suddenly felt the urge to want to help, to do something about it. But there was no escaping Azkaban.
Hermione's brain backpedaled immediately after that thought. That wasn't true at all. Sirius Black, the very man she rescued from the Dementor's Kiss not a year earlier, he had escaped the prison. So it was possible. But to break out a whole family of Death Eaters? That was another story entirely.
Hermione decided to store that thought in the back of her brain for later contemplation. Now, however, she was hungry. She and Dmitri entered the Great Hall, smelling juicy steak and roasted potatoes in the air, and went to find the rest of their friends.
~*~*~X~*~*~
A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter, I started putting in a bunch of my own characters that I made up around Slytherin Hermione's backstory...It took me forever to fact-check everything with the canon story and make sure I wasn't disregarding the actual storylines in the real books, as stated in the beginning of this chapter. So, please, please let me know what you think via message, review, etc. Also, share this story with whoever you think would enjoy it, I would greatly appreciate it, since I lost a lot of views from not updating in so long….need to get back out there. Next chapter is almost halfway done, and the chapter after that is very roughly written out, so stay tuned! Thanks for the support!